MCDOWELL’S ADVANCE TO BULL RUN.
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Tyler ordered Richardson’s brigade and a section of Ayres’s battery, sup-ported by a squadron of cavalry, to move from the ridge across the openbottom of Bull Run and take position near the stream and have skirmishers“ scour the thick woods ” which skirted it. Two regiments of infantry, 2 piecesof artillery, and a squadron of cavalry moved down the slope into the woodsand opened fire, driving Bonham’s outpost to the cover of intrenchments acrossthe stream. The brigades of Bonham and Longstreet, the latter being reen-forced for the occasion by Early’s brigade, responded at short range to thefire of the Federal reconnoitering force and drove it back in disorder. Tylerreported that having satisfied himself “that the enemywas in force,” and ascertained “ the position of his bat-teries,” he withdrew.,! This unauthorized reconnoissance,called by the Federals the affair at Blackburn’s Ford, wasregarded at the time by the Confederates as a seriousattack, and was dignified by the name of the “ battle ofBull Bun,” the engagement of the 21st being called bythem the battle of Manassas . The Confederates, feelingthat they had repulsed a heavy and real attack, wereencouraged by the result. The Federal troops, on theother hand, were greatly depressed. The regiment whichsuffered most was completely demoralized, and McDowellthought that the depression of the repulse was feltthroughout his army and produced its effect upon thePennsylvania regiment and the New York batterywhich insisted (their terms having expired) upon their U y I oek”hre T zoua™s) N ^ Wdischarge, and on the 21st, as he expressed it, “marched At Buiiitmi the Fire zouavesto the rear to the sound of the enemy’s cannon.” Even wore tl,e red fez 'Tyler himself felt the depressing effect of his repulse, if we may judge byhis cautious and feeble action on the 21st when dash was required.
The operations of the 18th confirmed McDowell in his opinion that withhis raw troops the Confederate position should be turned instead of attackedin front. Careful examination had satisfied him that the country did notfavor a movement to turn the enemy’s right. On the night of the 18th
/ The casualties in the affair were : Union, 1officer and 18 enlisted men killed; 1 officer and 37enlisted men wounded ; 26 enlisted men missing,—aggregate, 83. Confederate (Beauregard in hisofficial report of 1861), “15 killed and 53 woundedmen, several of whom have since died.”— J. B. F.
3) The 11th New York , or “ The First Fire Zou-aves,” was recruited in April, 1861, from amongthe firemen of New York City "by Colonel E. ElmerEllsworth, a young man of twenty-four, who, beforethe war, had organized in Chicago a fine body ofZouaves and exhibited the Zouave drill in severalcitiesof theNorth. PresidentLincoln,whohadbeenescorted to Washington by Ellsworth, appointedhim to a second lieutenancy in the regular army.
On the morning of May 24th, when the Unionforces crossed into Virginia , Ellsworth’s Zouavesoccupied the city of Alexandria . The colonel, with
the secretary and the chaplain of the regiment, acorrespondent of the New York “ Tribune,” and asergeant’s squad were proceeding toward the centerof the town, when they saw a secession flag flyingfrom the Marshall house. With his two com-panions Ellsworth ascended to the roof, leavingPrivate Francis E. Brownell at the foot of thegarret stairs. On descending those stairs with theflag in his hands, Ellsworth was shot through theheart by James T. Jackson, the keeper of the hotel,who emptied the second barrel of his shot-gun atBrownell. The latter, who was not hit, shot Jacksonthrough the head. Colonel Ellsworth had endearedhimself to President Lincoln, who was deeply af-fected by his death. For several hours the remainslay in state in the East Room of the White House.His death made a profound impression and greatlystimulated the war feelinginthe North.— Editoes.